emberossing | for boogiedown

"Well... um... good?" he's not sure if that's good, isn't sure what to say, "I'm glad you've found something like that."

He feels like he should say something motivating here, something about never giving up on your dreams or something else. But he's so far from that point right now that he doesn't even know what to say, so he just kind of ends up staring.

Minami is kind of bouncing. He may or may not have an entire LIST of questions for Yuuri. You know. Just in case they ever did manage to talk. And okay, he kind of pictured it happening out by the rink. Really casual, and he'd be really cool about it and not freak out all over the place -

Which he is absolutely not doing! This is fine too! Even if his face feels way hotter then normal, whenever he catches Yuuri's eye.

"How did you find it?! Being able to skate like you do?!"

Minami is... weirdly infectious with the cheer, to the point where even Yuuri can't stay completely dour. He hasn't done very many interviews beyond the post-skate ones, so there's not much information about him out there. But he's not adverse to sharing the information more like this, even if he's never been able to do so in a more formal setting,

"Ah... it sounds like kind of the same way you did," however, his mind doesn't make the more immediately obvious connection here, "By watching someone a little bit older than me skate. But I don't... really know if there's anything special about the way I skate."

Minami blanches. Oh no! No one is allowed to talk badly about Yuuri's skating around him! Not even Yuuri himself. He maybe leans in a little closer, determined to make the point. With proximity! Or something!

"What???!? You love it! You work so hard, anyone can see that!"

Anyone with ~~a maybe slightly obvious crush~~ eyes, anyway! Minami jumps up. Holding his arms out, miming a spin. Is he - channeling Yuuri? Trying to, anyway! Show how graceful it is, every move deep and thoughtful.

"I wish I could land a triple axel like yours! I usually fall!!!"

He can't help but laugh at that, the motion is so startling and Minami is just so... over the top. It feels... weirdly good, like something's shaken loose in his chest, even though the laugh itself is quiet and subdued.

"Hard work isn't always enough, though," he says, quietly, and it's maybe a little more upset sounding than he wants to be with a competitor, but he really is kind of falling apart since the GPF. "But I'm sure you'll get there," he adds, just in case Minami somehow thinks that's aimed at him.

Minami beams back. Pleased to have such a positive response! It is at full wattage, making even the dreary locker room fluorescents more friendly.

"Yeah, I know! But you don't get anywhere without it! So you should try, right?!!"

It made sense in his head! Maybe not so much out loud. But he is punching the air and striking a Determined Pose. That makes any speech super-effective, right?

"Yeah. You should," or Minami should, anyway. Yuuri is still undecided. Still... it's hard to be too depressed with someone with that level of energy cheering you on, even if Yuuri doesn't feel like he's anywhere near the man Minami seems to think he is. Later, this may well be a reminder of how many people he's let down and disappointed, but right now, it's helpful. He even manages another soft little smile, just for Minami.

Minami bounces up on his toes. Warmth curling in his stomach, from seeing that smile. He finds himself wanting to see it a lot more. Okay! Phase One of the plan successful! Time for Phase Two!

Just... as soon as he figures out what that IS...

"Hang on! I'll be right back!!!"

'Right Back' is about five minutes or so.

It's long enough that Yuuri's sure he's been forgotten about, which isn't surprising or particularly more depressing than he already is, so he just finishes changing into his street clothes.

This does mean Minami is going to get an eyeful of muscled back when he returns, Yuuri just pulling on a t-shirt as he gets back.

There is a startled squeak from the doorway. Whenever he turns Yuuri's going to find Minami frozen in place. Trying to process the wonder he has just seen, cheeks bright.

Then there's a sharp head shake, and he holds up his prize. Two plates of cake snuck out of the banquet! They're even both corner pieces, a high-skill level indeed!

"Here! I didn't know if you like vanilla or chocolate better!"

"Oh, uh, sorry. I figured you probably got held up so I was just going to... go," it's maybe a little more pathetic than he wanted to be, but he's pretty pathetic right now and wanting doesn't change that. His face lights up at the slice of cake, though.

He doesn't deserve katsudon, but there's no rule about cake. And, honestly, he's not even sure he wants to ever get on the ice again, so... what's a little indulgence, right? It's not like it matters if he gets fat.

He takes the chocolate piece, with a smile that doesn't really quite reach his eyes but seems genuine enough,

"Thank you very much for bringing it to me," it's overly formal, there's almost a little bow, but he sits down with the cake, doesn't seem like the formality is hiding him not wanting it, "But... don't you need to get back?" he manages a more tender smile, it sits better on his face, "You're the man of the hour, after all."

"You're welcome!"

Minami can't help his face falling when Yuuri makes the choice. BUT! Vanilla is almost as good! Really! The grin returns to full wattage and he plops down again. Maaaaaybe a little closer to Yuuri then last time.

"I know! But - I - Idon'twantyoutogo!"

This whole night is unreal. And this is the most unbelievable thing of all. Since it's Minami's night - he can be allowed to stretch this out a little more, right? Whatever this warm, bubbling feeling is? He takes a bite of cake, frosting smearing around his mouth.

Yup. Even the vanilla is fantastic.

Yuuri looks at him in disbelief, but everything is still muted, quiet in his head, far away. It's not healthy, he knows-- it's like he's looking at his emotions through glass. Or through ice. But it's... quiet. He's not nervous, talking to Minami, not really, not at the intensity he would normally be.

"Well. You did win gold. I guess you can spend your party with whoever you like," he manages a little smile, and then takes a bite of the cake. It's good cake. Or maybe it's just that he hasn't had cake in a while. There's a noise, maybe, that he makes, about how good the cake is. He doesn't think anything of it.

And then he replays the look on Minami's face when he picked the chocolate,

"Here, give me your fork a second," he uses the side of it to slice off a bit of the chocolate cake and holds it back out to Minami, also without thinking about it. Phichit and he do this kind of thing all the time, and he kind of forgets that he's in Japan and not Detroit.

Minami just kind of gapes at him a second. Not long enough for Yuuri to pull the offering! Just long enough for him to see the gears spinning. Running all the things this could mean, if you've only ever lived in Japan, if you're buzzing from winning and meeting your idol and sitting close enough to -

Well. Eat a from the same plate he is.

And then Minami leans forward, taking the bite from the fork. Eyes shimmering bright as he swallows. This is it. He's about to snap awake. Find out the whole thing was a dream! It doesn't fade, though. Instead the chocolate spreads rich and dark in his mouth. He lets out a small noise of surprise, because this has to be the best cake in the universe.

"It's really good," he proclaims. Eyes shimmering. He's - sort of forgotten to lean back again.

Thankfully for Minami, Yuuri is also processing slow at the moment, or he might have jerked the cake away. As it is, there's enough time for him to realize that this... probably looks way more intimate than is polite and to regret all of his life choices, flushing prettily with the realization, but not enough time to actually move

"Ah! Sorry, sorry, I..." he flushes more, "I'm just... I'm used to America now, I didn't mean..." he hands him back the fork, trying to sink through the floor a little bit. "Please forgive me," he uses a really probably inappropriately formal apology, considering Minami's his junior.

Then again, he's also not reclaiming space like he normally would be.

Edited 2017-08-02 01:54 (UTC)

"Aaaah! It's okay, it's okay!!!"

Minami flails, nearly dropping his own plate. He doesn't want Yuuri to feel bad! That is the opposite of the mission! It was strange but not bad-strange!

"I like chocolate a lot and I don't mind thank you so - you - share cake in America??!?"

Struck with sudden inspiration, Minami grabs Yuuri's fork and spears a piece of the vanilla. Holding it out with a smile. This will make it better, right? Balance things??!?

"Here!"

"Not... necessarily?" he admits, "Everyone touches a lot more..." he searches for a word, but there's really not one, because it's not necessarily more or less, exactly? He decides on, "casually there and it's weird but I guess I've sort of gotten used to it. I have a feeling the cake thing is probably my roommate," he laughs, "I'm pretty sure Phichit doesn't understand the concept of non-shared food." He's never been bold enough to ask if that's a Thai thing or a Chulanont family thing or just a Phichit thing.

Yuuri laughs again at first to the offer, cheeks heating more in delight than anything else, because this is kind of fun, actually.

But he doesn't really realize what's necessary for this until he's leaning in, opening his mouth, and okay, this was maybe a little inappropriate when he was the one holding the fork, but it was mostly thoughtless, but this is... this requires something more deliberate and he's starting to understand why Minami was so flustered. His face heats for an entirely different reason and he knows right now it's kind of an open book, none of his walls anywhere to be seen.

But it also seems rude to not return the favor (indignity?) so he leans in that tiny bit extra, to let Minami feed it to him, lips closing around the fork.

Minami has spent a great deal of time watching Yuuri. Memorizing routines, moves, even hand gestures. Somehow, though, he has never thought of paying attention to his mouth. How had he possibly overlooked it? The way Yuuri's mouth turns into smiles, frowns, it's endlessly fascinating.

Then there are Yuuri's lips. Closing over the fork. They look - really soft -

Licking his own lips, Minami tries to remember how to breathe.

"I - Don't mind it - " he manages to squeak out. With the feeling he's not talking just about cake. Not any more.

Icing dissolves on his tongue and Yuuri loses the train of the conversation a moment, because the other type of cake is just as good as the first. They're obviously really high quality, not just a sheet cake or cake decorated just to be impressively pretty. He makes a little delicious noise as he eats the bite and he probably doesn't sit as far back as he should. There's a little bit of icing on his lip and his tongue flicks out to clean it and inside his head, all of it seems pretty reasonable, really. He's not just going to leave the icing on his face, the cake is delicious, Minami has just said he doesn't really mind the kind of casual intimacy thing they've got going on here, and it's actually more comforting than Minami knows-- it's made him a little weirdly homesick, not for Detroit but for Phichit, for someone who he can be a little more open with.

Of course, he's also just licked icing off his face after moaning over a cake, but Yuuri's kind of oblivious.

"Wow, the vanilla's really good too! Now I can't decide."

"You - Can have whatever you want!"

There's the sense again that Minami's offering more then he's saying. If he were someone older, with more experience, this would definitely be leading. Flirting, even. But he doesn't have that framework. He just knows this is fun, and the cake is amazing. And Yuuri looks - amazing too, relaxed and happy and that is so much better then how this all started.

What Minami does have cake. And a strong wish to hear that noise again. He uses his own fork to spear more. Holding the bite out before he realizes it.

Yuuri's already halfway leaned back in for it before he realizes it's Minami's fork, before he's realized there's really no reason to be doing this, he's already tried the other cake. But the cake is so good and he's just so far past a place where he cares, right now. If someone wants to feed him cake in a locker room, what reason in the world is there to refuse? Everything's crashing and burning around him anyway, what's one more thing?

So he just leans the rest of the way in and eats it and it... feels weirdly good, unexpected, to just let something happen to him, to stop fighting against everything for a moment. This bite is maybe a little bit less sensual than the first, but the way he blushes about it is... different, higher on his cheeks. He's got a little bit of icing on the side of his mouth that he doesn't realize is there. It's a cute look for him.

Something is wrong with Minami's chest. He can't quite get enough air. Maybe he should worry about that. Or about how his heart seems to be trying to leap out of his throat.

"Ah - Y-You have - here - "

He pulls his jacket sleeve up a little. Chasing the icing with the same, unthinking instinct as he'd held out the cake. Rubbing against Yuuri's cheek. In the process, though, Minami's fingers actually brush against lips.

He - should - pull away, apologize, this is too much right?!

Yuuri can't help the little gasp-and-shiver at that. His lips are always either chapped or raw from the cold and from him worrying at them when he gets particularly nervous and that means they're usually sensitive. Minami's touch is a jolt down his spine and the tension is suddenly awkward but in a way that just makes it curl deeper, warmer around them. He's not sure what's happening, but he can feel the shift, and he meets Minami's eyes all of a sudden, his own curious, because it really seems like Minami is setting up to kiss him.

Normally, that might have him fleeing to the other side of the locker room, and it still might in a minute, to be honest, but right now, he already felt like such a passenger in his own body, that this feels almost like an out of body experience, and he finds that he's more interested in knowing if Minami's actually going to kiss him than he is any of the other things he probably ought to be thinking about a competitor who's younger than he is kissing him in a locker room, good or bad.

Yuuri...

...isn't moving away...

There's no sound. No air. And suddenly the only direction is forward, Minami closing the gap all at once. He's clearly not a natural, but the kiss is warm, eager.

This is not something he's thought about. Not in this much detail. He only knows that the way he feels about Yuuri is this huge, blooming thing. That no matter what, his thoughts keep going back to him. How Yuuri moves, laughs, Minami just wants to be around him.

And he's probably going to get shoved off, yelled at, but he's got to at least try.

Minami isn't shoved off. Or yelled at.

Yuuri has only the slightest bit more experience kissing and almost none beyond the first, awkward press of lips, but it's enough to somewhat know what to do with his mouth, to angle his head a little, to kiss back. Which is the thing he's actually doing rather than shoving Minami away. He should shove him away. There are all kinds of reasons to turn this down, politely or otherwise. But all of them seem far away. Everything seems far away. And Minami's inexpert kiss is the most human contact he's really had in weeks, too focused to even really spend time with Phichit, and he feels like he's melting just a little in it, less sensually and more literally like ice, like something thawing.

By the time Minami's pulling back (because Yuuri doesn't), Yuuri is flushed, lips a little pinker too, eyes wide. He looks a little shocked, dazed, but there's nothing bad about the expression at all, nothing that says Minami can't try that again. Before he can, though, Yuuri's moving on autopilot, the bite of chocolate cake held up with an entirely different charge to it this time. It's not the suavest post-kiss thing he could have done, but then, it's also definitely, 110% not rejection.

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This kid I swear

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